A cup of New England clam chowder has about 237 calories, 12 g of fat and 8 g of protein, according to USDA data. Manhattan clam chowder, which uses a tomato broth instead of cream, has about 86 calories per cup. The bigger jumps come from bowl size, a bread bowl and the crackers on the side.
With Dietfit, one photo of your bowl is enough: Deep Scan estimates the chowder, the bread and the crackers separately, so a bread bowl is not logged as "soup".
Key takeaways
New England clam chowder has about 237 calories per cup; Manhattan has about 86.
Canned New England chowder has about 201 calories per cup; condensed chowder made with water has about 87.
Most of the calories come from cream, butter, bacon and potatoes. The clams themselves are lean.
Sodium runs 500 to 1,000 mg per cup, or 22% to 44% of the Daily Value.
A bread bowl can add more calories than the chowder inside it.
Clam chowder calories per cup
All numbers are for 1 cup (about 8 to 9 oz), from USDA FoodData Central.
Clam chowder (1 cup) | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New England (cream-based) | 237 | 12.2 g | 23.6 g | 8.0 g | 630 mg |
Canned New England, ready to serve | 201 | 10.0 g | 21.0 g | 6.6 g | 871 mg |
Canned New England, reduced sodium | 179 | 10.8 g | 14.5 g | 6.0 g | 497 mg |
Condensed New England, made with 2% milk | 154 | 5.1 g | 18.8 g | 8.2 g | 688 mg |
Condensed New England, made with water | 87 | 2.5 g | 12.5 g | 3.8 g | 630 mg |
Canned Manhattan, chunky | 134 | 3.4 g | 18.8 g | 7.2 g | 1,001 mg |
Manhattan (tomato-based) | 86 | 1.2 g | 12.9 g | 6.1 g | 610 mg |
The gap between the two styles is mostly fat. New England chowder has 6.4 g of saturated fat per cup, about a third of the 20 g Daily Value, while Manhattan chowder has 0.2 g.
Calories in a bowl of clam chowder
A cup is a small serving. Using the USDA figure for New England chowder:
1 cup (8 oz): 237 calories
1.5 cups (12 oz): 356 calories
2 cups (16 oz): 474 calories
Check the size on the menu or the can: a 19 oz can of ready-to-serve chowder holds a little more than 2 cups.
Why is New England clam chowder so high in calories?
The clams are not the problem. The base is. Here is what the common ingredients add:
Ingredient | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
Heavy cream | 1/4 cup | 202 |
Butter | 1 tbsp | 102 |
Bacon, cooked | 1 slice | 44 |
Whole milk | 1/4 cup | 37 |
Canned clams, drained | 3 oz | 121 |
Three ounces of canned clams give 21 g of protein for 121 calories, plus about 16 mcg of vitamin B12, more than six times the 2.4 mcg Daily Value. Cream, butter and bacon are what turn that into a rich soup, and potatoes and flour thicken it. Manhattan chowder skips the cream entirely, which is why it has about a third of the calories.
Bread bowl and oyster cracker calories
A bread bowl is a hollowed-out round loaf, so it can outweigh the soup. French bread has about 77 calories per ounce. Eat 6 oz of the bowl, about the lid and part of the sides, and that is around 460 calories, almost twice a cup of chowder.
Oyster crackers add up more slowly but still count:
1 small bag (0.5 oz): 63 calories
1/2 cup: 105 calories
A 12 oz bowl of New England chowder with 1/2 cup of crackers comes to about 460 calories, and the same bowl in a bread bowl can pass 800.
Is clam chowder good for weight loss?
It fits, with a few choices. Manhattan chowder is the easy pick at about 86 calories a cup. New England chowder works as a cup next to a salad or a piece of grilled fish, but a large bowl in bread is closer to a full meal's worth of calories. Knowing those numbers makes it simpler to stay in a calorie deficit without skipping your favorite soup.
At a seafood restaurant, order a cup instead of a bowl and ask for the crackers on the side. More ideas are in our guide to eating out while losing weight.
How to make a lighter clam chowder at home
Swap the cream for milk. A quarter cup of whole milk has 37 calories, compared with 202 for heavy cream.
Use less bacon and butter. One slice of bacon and one tablespoon of butter flavor a whole pot.
Add more clams and vegetables. Extra clams, celery and onion add bulk and protein without much fat.
Choose reduced-sodium canned chowder. It has 497 mg of sodium per cup, compared with 871 mg for regular canned chowder.
If you would rather not measure, an AI calorie tracker like Dietfit can estimate the chowder and the bread from one photo.
For example, Dietfit's Deep Scan read a bowl of New England clam chowder with bacon and crusty bread as 664 calories: 420 for the chowder, 95 for the bacon on top and 130 for the bread.
FAQ
How many calories are in a bowl of clam chowder?
A 12 oz bowl of New England clam chowder has about 356 calories and a 16 oz bowl has about 474. The same bowls of Manhattan chowder have about 130 and 170 calories.
How many calories are in a cup of homemade clam chowder?
About 237 calories for a standard New England recipe. Recipes heavy on cream, butter or bacon run higher; using milk instead of cream brings it down.
How much protein is in clam chowder?
About 6 to 8 g per cup for most types, and less for condensed chowder made with water. Most of it comes from the clams and the milk or cream.
Is clam chowder good for dieting?
Manhattan clam chowder is a good fit at about 86 calories per cup. New England chowder can fit too if you keep it to a cup and skip the bread bowl.
Which is healthier, New England or Manhattan clam chowder?
Manhattan. It has about a third of the calories and almost no saturated fat. Sodium is similar in both, about 610 to 630 mg per cup.
References
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2707139/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Soup, New England clam chowder", FDC ID 2707139
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2707138/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Soup, Manhattan clam chowder", FDC ID 2707138
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174062/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Soup, clam chowder, new england, canned, ready-to-serve", FDC ID 174062
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174063/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Soup, clam chowder, new england, reduced sodium, canned, ready-to-serve", FDC ID 174063
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174539/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Soup, clam chowder, new england, canned, prepared with equal volume low fat (2%) milk", FDC ID 174539
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174555/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Soup, clam chowder, new england, canned, prepared with equal volume water", FDC ID 174555
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https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170859/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Cream, fluid, heavy whipping", FDC ID 170859
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173410/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Butter, salted", FDC ID 173410
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/167914/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, baked", FDC ID 167914
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171265/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D", FDC ID 171265
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2707610/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Bread, French or Vienna", FDC ID 2707610
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2708160/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Crackers, oyster", FDC ID 2708160
https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels"
By Phat Nguyen